Tissue holders for holding a box of tissues and for dispensing individual tissues are well known and have been in use for many years. For example, a United States patent of J. Hy, U.S. Pat. No. 2,155,760 discloses a box holder for mounting a box upon a wall such as a box of cleansing tissues. The holder for a paste board box of the kind in which paper cleaning tissues are sold typically includes an elongated opening in a front wall for dispensing tissues. The cleaning tissues which are in the form of individual paper sheets are adapted to be withdrawn through the opening and the sheets are interfolded so that as one sheet is withdrawn it moves the leading edge of the succeeding sheet partway through the opening. As disclosed, the holder includes a panel like boarder that is rectangular in shape and which is formed with marginal flanges. The flanges stiffen the body and space it from the supporting surface against which it is mounted.
A tissue containing box holder is also disclosed in a U.S. patent of Rabner, U.S. Pat. No. 3,733,044. As disclosed, a tissue containing box holder includes first and second parallel, spaced, cross pieces that are connected by a backing plate, and fastening means for securing the plate to a vertical wall surface. The first cross piece supports at least one downwardly projecting prong which has the free end extremity thereof spaced from a longitudinally extending apex on the second cross piece at a distance less than the width of a conventional tissue holding cardboard box such as in which Kleenex is retailed. The edge portions of such a box are rigid and the walls extending between the edges are resilient. When a Kleenex box has a first side wall placed in pressure contact with the prongs and a second side wall in contact with the apex, the side walls are bowed inwardly towards one another, and any force exerted on the box in removing the tissue therefrom tends to pivot the box toward the prongs to increase the pressure engagement therewith, and prevent the box from being inadvertently displaced from the holder.
A more recent U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,139 of Holtsch discloses a holding device for containers with tissues and the like comprising a housing, an insert movable relative to the housing between a proximal position in which the container can be clamped between the insert and the housing and a distal position in which the insert is moved away from the housing so that the container can be removed from the device and a new container can be placed between the insert and the housing, and elements for elastically urging the insert toward the housing to the proximal position so that the insert can be moved away from the housing toward the distal position by overcoming a resistance of the elastic elements. The elastic elements may include at least one elastic band elastically connecting the insert with the housing.
An additional holder for box dispensers is taught by a U.S. patent of Baskas, U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,705. As disclosed the holder for a box dispenser of articles for use in a professional office or at home, comprises an L-shaped member having a shelf for receiving the box and an upstanding wall portion on which is mounted a clip. The clip is spring-biased to hold the box in place. The clip is preferably vertically moveable via telescoping members or slots to accommodate different sized boxes.
Finally, a dispensing system and assembly having a shelf integrated with one or more compartments for dispensing flexible articles is disclosed in a U.S. Pat. No. 7,296,705 of Boulet-Mazer. As disclosed therein, an assembly useable in conjunction with a plurality of flexible articles includes at least one compartment configured to hold a plurality of the flexible articles. The compartment defines an outlet configured to enable the flexible articles to be removed from the compartment through the outlet at least one at a time. The assembly includes at least one mount connected to the housing and a door. The door has a shelf surface. The assembly provides users with increased shelving and storage space, access to flexible articles, and convenience of use.
Notwithstanding a relatively large number of tissue holders and dispensers, it is presently believed that there is a need and a potential commercial market for an improved tissue holder and dispenser in accordance with the present invention. There should be a commercial market for such systems and an apparatus because the holder holds a plurality of boxes of tissues and permits one tissue to be removed at a time and when one tissue box is empty, a second box is readily moved into a position to dispense tissues. Further, the devices are durable, easily installed on a wall of a structure, convenient to use, and should be producible at a competitive price. Further, the apparatus are particularly appropriate for areas with public access such as public restrooms or the like.